Three-spot Gourami

Trichopodus trichopterus

Habitat & Distribution :  Southeast asia

Diet : Algae

Size: Up to 15 cm 

Lifespan: 10 years

Description

This fish has a compressed body and a narrow, pointed snout. Its scales are generally a dull silvery color with bluish or greenish hues, featuring several dark oblique bands and a black spot on both the mid-body and the base of the tail. The foremost pair of rays on the pelvic fins are modified into whip-like tactile organs extending toward the tail, equipped with a pair of spines and 2–3 short filaments.

Behavior

The three-spot gourami tends to be solitary or live in small groups. As the breeding season approaches, the males become intensely territorial; they construct bubble nests from saliva beneath floating aquatic plants, engage in intimate mating rituals with females, and then aggressively guard the eggs against predators until they hatch.

Reproduction

Both parents, especially the male, build a large, floating bubble nest. The female can release thousands of eggs. They spawn every 20 days to 3 months. The male guards the nest, and the eggs take 1–3 days to hatch.

Communication & Perception

They communicate primarily through touch—using their highly developed, thread-like pelvic fins—as well as through visual displays and social behaviors, particularly in social or territorial contexts.

Predator

Birds, crocodiles, and larger predatory fish